


Jonah On The Ocean

by Rainy_Day_Lemonade



Series: Supernatural Hidekane AUs [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternative mermaids, Angst, Creative Liberties, Death and Rebirth, Don't copy to another site, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gratuitous use of songs by Hozier, Hide sings Hozier songs and it warms my soul, Historical inaccuracies until Hozier’s immortality is confirmed, I dunno what happened, M/M, Magic, Major Character Death and Rebirth, Musician! Hide, Non-Traditional Mermaids, Pirate! Hide, Romance, Shironeki | White-haired Kaneki Ken, Siren! Kaneki, Wait- Yamori happened, Yamori's still pretty twisted, mermaid au, pirate slang, please be kind, siren au, this was meant to be a one-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21897952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy_Day_Lemonade/pseuds/Rainy_Day_Lemonade
Summary: Born from violent and watery deaths, sirens are known for their malice and mischief- for guiding sea-fairing folk to a watery grave.Hide had heard all the stories, whispered amongst his fellow pirates; he'd rolled his eyes at drunken ramblings of flashing teeth and intoxicating song.But then he fell overboard in a vicious storm. And he found a story far more compelling.He found Eyepatch.
Relationships: Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise/Nagachika Hideyoshi
Series: Supernatural Hidekane AUs [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637917
Comments: 21
Kudos: 132





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to my first multi-chapter fic! This story got longer than I ever intended it to, but I've loved every minute of writing it.  
> I'm aiming to update daily-ish, but with Christmas fast approaching, my goal may be a little... ambitious. Regardless, I will do my very best!  
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Ghoul or any of it's characters, nor do I own any songs by Hozier.  
> The title is from the song "Movement" by Hozier- its a beautiful song, I highly recommend :)

A storm never came without warning.  
The sky could never deceive the earth if it tried; the air always prickles with archaic delight, as clouds unfurl like smoke from the tavern. Thunder must sound its warlike beat, as lightning lays in wait for its call to the stage.  
The sky could not lie, and neither could the sea. But tonight, under the mercy of both, Hide wish they would.

_Belay the rope! Boom about! Keep lively, 'less you wanna visit Davey Jones’ Locker!  
_ The wind swallowed the words of his captain, savage with hunger, but no meaning was lost on Hide’s ears. _  
_He may be new at this pirate business, but the blond knew better than to question an order.  
With a twisted grin, he clung to the rope, taking comfort in the burn of his palms. His crewmates slid around with a fierce determination, soaked to the britches but fiery in spirit. Several cheers of “Aye!” and “Yes Captain!” flew through the wind, bright and fragile as butterflies.  
The sea gave its own booming answer, slamming into the hull with undying gusto. Hide licked his lips, the salt on his tongue a treacherous gift- a kiss from a sweet-eyed assassin, a weak distraction from overwhelming peril.  
“Y’know, Takizawa,” He shouted to his partner on the ropes, “I know the perfect song to lift our spirits!”  
“Is it a funeral hymn?” Takizawa growled, pulling harder on his rope, “Cause if we survive this, I’m gonna kill ya!”  
“Jeez, way to give no quarter! No, it’s a lovely little ditty, from the rolling hills of home.” Hide took a deep breath, ignoring the sting of the sea. _“I couldn’t utter my love when it counted, ah… but I’m singing like a bird ‘bout it now… I couldn’t whisper when you needed it shouted…”  
_ “Nagachika, shut it!” With wild abandon, Takizawa threw his arms around the helm of the ship. Eyes wide like the rim of a cannon, he shrieked, “Watch out!”  
Hide felt the world slip from its perch. He felt the caress of the waves as he flew overboard.  
He was blind to the world, branded with the image of Takizawa’s screaming face.

The embrace of the sea followed him in his dreams. His vision was dark, but his skin was alive with the sensation of it all. The tide became encircling arms holding tight to his torso, firm and strong. The ever-present _whoosh_ of the water around him became the most beautiful song… wordless and enrapturing, sorrowful and soothing all at once.  
Hide welcomed the dream, imagined his weight sinking into the embrace. _If I survive,_ murmured his half-lucid thoughts, _I’ll write a song about this._

When Hide awoke, it was not to a watery grave, but the burning ache of survival. Stiff and sore, he rolled on a gravelly surface; his leg protested, his muscles pulsing to a steady, wrathful rhythm. _Congrats, you’re alive,_ it seemed to say, _Now. Do. Something.  
_ Still stinging with saltwater, his eyes blinked in a soft blue glow. A pool of water shone with a blanket of algae as blue as a summer sky.  
With a grunt, the blond dragged himself to the water’s edge. He reached out a tentative hand, fingers skimming the surface; It was warm to the touch like lukewarm tea. With a hesitant sip, expecting salty tang, he sank in the mellow sweetness of fresh water.  
Hide forced himself upright, taking in his stony surroundings. Dome-like walls was bathed in the glow, barren of life and means of escape.  
A sharp pang piercing his thoughts, the pirate laid himself back down on his cold stone bed. _Future Hide can deal with this,_ he decided, praying his dreams would return.

It was clear from the beginning that this was a place of magic. The glowing pool was a strong indicator, but what convinced him was the gifts.  
Perhaps ‘gifts’ was a presumptuous word, but it was his best explanation. Hide would wake from a pain-numbing slumber, eyes falling on a small heap by the water. A common offering looked like a chestnut without a shell, with a sweet aftertaste; the blond relished in the flavour, sick of the salt of his tongue and lungs. Often nestled among these treats were a small collection of shells; their polished surfaces glistened in the light, shining ghostly reflections against the cavern floor.  
If Hide didn’t know better, he’d say the ocean was wooing him. A funny thought, seeing how it nearly killed him.  
 _A fine line, love and hate..._  
But he did know better. Sometimes, when he collected his gifts, his eyes would catch a black hole amongst the algae; He’d watch with idle dread as the hole slowly closed in- a door slowly closing on the unknown.  
Someone- or something- was helping him; He certainly hadn’t entered this cavern by himself, with his leg at an angle that shouldn’t be comfortable. All signs suggested his benefactor was benevolent- the food, the decorative shells, the fact he’s _still alive…_ But Takizawa had always delighted in telling tales of the sea, few with happy endings for the hero in question.  
 _“They dance beside the hull of the ship, scales glittering in the moonlight,”_ Takizawa would enthuse, eyes bright with thrill and intoxication. _“And their song could send the strongest man drunk, under their spell, crashing into the jagged rocks of their demise.”  
“Someone needs to lay off the rum,” _Hide had smirked, picking at his splintering lute. _“Why would a sea creature create such melodrama? Don’t they know not to play with their food?”  
“No one said anything about food…” _was the response- and it would have sounded sage, had the speaker not emptied his guts minutes later.  
Now, without his lute or his friend, those words filled his ears and swallowed what remained of his peace. Was his benefactor toying with him? Had he become the pet of some horrible beast, with razor-sharp teeth and little regard for human life?  
He had no hope of escaping as he was, purple bruises blooming across his injured leg. The only way out was through the pool... But who could tell how deep it sank? How far he would need to swim- hypothetically, seeing how he couldn’t even stand.  
Was this a sanctuary or a prison?  
There was only one way to find out, or course. He had to set a trap- confront his keeper, get answers before the doubt could eat him alive.  
The doubt and, of course, the creature itself.

It was with the cunning of a snake that Hide laid himself by the pool, eyes closed but senses sharp. He paced his breathing like the beating of a drum, slow and steady; his mind, in contrast, was abuzz with white noise.  
He couldn’t say how long he laid like that- time was a notion for those in the Sun, and the light of a pool was an unwavering constant... But he could recall the exact pace at which the silence broke. It took all his wit to stop his breath from hitching.  
Eyes still closed, his ears rang with the soft splash of a body breaking the surface, a gentle lapping along the water’s edge. A deep breath, and then more splashing; it was clear the visitor was trying to be discreet, but the cavernous walls echoed with every sound.  
Hide bit his lip, not yet ready to open his eyes. He could sense the visitor’s- the _creature’s-_ presence, edging closer to where he lay. They seemed to linger in place for a moment, undecided. _Slow and steady,_ his thoughts hissed, _you’re asleep, remember. Don’t give it away…  
_ Water dripped lightly against his injured leg, his _exposed_ leg, and Hide lost all composure.  
Ignorant to the ache of his limbs, his hand flew out to grab a startled wrist. Eyes flashed open, blind with panic and shock; he felt the stiffening of tendons beneath his touch, a ragged breath, before he truly _saw._

The figure was _pale._ Skin bathed in the sky-blue light, his white hair clinging to his face, this strange visitor was positively _ethereal._  
Hide gaped, hand frozen in place. Left eye hidden under a leather eyepatch, the visitor’s right was exposed and wide with fear.  
 _Oh God._ “I, I… I’m sorry!” The blond spluttered, tongue heavy with shock. He didn’t release his hand- truth be told, in that moment, he didn’t know how. “I panicked… I panicked and I’m sorry I…”  
The boy looked as though he might sink below, gone as quickly as he came. Perhaps it was ironic, but the thought filled Hide with unadulterated dread. “I’m sorry, please don’t run away! You saved my life, I want to thank you… I…”  
With a slow breath, the boy’s arm fell limp. The blond released his grip, gaze fixed on the other. Hand disappearing below the surface, the boy seemed to fiddle with something around his waist- a belt, perhaps- before procuring a silvery stone; He leant against the cavern floor, scratching on its surface with purposeful strokes. Beckoned over, Hide obeyed, squinting at the markings in the sparse light.  
 **Leg hurts?  
** The text was human. It would have been extraordinary, were he not already beyond shock.  
“A little…” he admitted, glancing at his leg. “… I think I broke it.”  
The boy hummed. The sound was soft and tinkly as wind chimes.  
 **Stay off leg. Heal.  
** “No arguments here!” the blond grinned, enjoying the newfound company. His mission, however, seeped back into his mind. “Um…” he worried his lip, nerves drowned in sheer _embarrassment,_ “… I don’t mean to be rude, but… You’re not entirely human, are you?”  
His face burned under the inspection of the boy. By all appearances, he couldn’t be much older than himself, white hair aside. He wouldn’t have been out of place in the crew- especially with that eyepatch of his.  
 **No,** was the eventual reply. **Is that a problem?  
** “No!” Hide gaped, “No, that’s not a problem! I… I was just…” He broke off, scratching at his cheek. _Wasn’t it a problem? What about Takizawa’s stories?_ He forced a grin, “… You don’t plan on eating me, do you?”  
The abject horror on the other boy’s face told all. “Right then,” he chuckled, propping himself up on his arm. “That’s all I needed to know.” The blond held out a hand, expression warm. “My name is Hide. Thank you for saving me!”  
His visitor stared, as though searching for something. His single eye shimmered a silvery blue, like the shells along the water’s edge.  
A hesitant hand wrapped around Hide’s, and he smiled.

They’d met four days after Hide’s fall; Hide insisted it felt like weeks, but Eyepatch was resolute.  
 **Asleep all first day,** he scratched on the floor. His lips quirked with amusement. **Don’t complain.  
** “Eyepatch!” the blond cried, clutching his heart, “How can you betray me like this?”  
That was the name Hide had bestowed on his saviour: Eyepatch. He had questioned the other but received no given name. The white-haired boy insisted he was “born without one”; Hide didn’t dare press.  
Eyepatch had confirmed that the cavern was a “special place”, though he didn’t fully understand it himself. This was just one section of a rocky isle, nearly hollow with caverns and caves. Eyepatch favoured this one for its easy access to the ocean- a fact he admitted with white knuckles and an empty expression.  
Hide had never seen his friend leave the water. He’d never seen anything below his torso- which when he thought about it, sounded _terribly odd out of context, but_ … he knew his friend wasn’t human.  
Takizawa’s tales whispered in his ear, but their tone had shifted.  
 _“They say… They say when someone dies a horrible death out at sea,”_ The pirate had sung, tipsy but intelligible, _“They may come back to life as a siren. That’s why they sing to sailors and send their ships sinking… They’re cursed to avenge their death, over and over, killing the innocent without discrimination…”  
“I don’t see many innocents here, Takizawa,” _Mado had teased, icy eyes softened by the liquor. _“Except maybe Nagachika.”  
_ Eyepatch was no killer. Hide wasn’t worried about that.  
What worried him was the thought of _how_ he came to live in the ocean. Was his hair always white? Why does he wear that leather eyepatch, flimsy and stained by the saltwater? How could he learn to write without having been…  
A soft tap on the arm jerked Hide from his thoughts. Head tilted to the side, Eyepatch regarded him with a troubled frown.  
“Sorry, I was lost in the light of your smile.” He teased, earning himself a sharp splash to the face. “Blimey, Eyepatch! Why do you hurt me this way?”  
Eyepatch laughed- a series of clicks and squeaks, melodic and decidedly inhuman. **  
**It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard.  
 **Idiot.**

_“Boys working on empty, is that the kind of way to face the burning heat? I just think about my baby, I’m so full of love I could barely eat…”  
_ Hide leant against the wall, fingers tracing the cracks in the stone. The cavern had beautiful acoustics- _pity it’s wasted on me,_ his wry thoughts hummed- but it wouldn’t stop him singing. _“When my time comes around, lay me gently in the cold dark earth. No grave can hold my body down, I’ll crawl home to…”  
_ He trailed off, silenced by a flicker of white from the corner of his eye. A splash of water sent him spluttering. “Ack! Man down! Man down!”  
Eyepatch gave a pitchy chuckle, eye alight. With deft precision, his silvery message spread across the cavern floor.  
 **You stopped.  
** The blond examined the writing, frowning.  
“Stopped? Stopped singing?”  
A sharp nod. Hide would have laughed, but the siren looked so determined. “You know, most people would rather I stop,” he drawled, ignoring the warmth blooming at the base of his neck. “I’m really not that good.”  
Eyepatch raised an eyebrow.  
 **Liars,** he scratched. **Beautiful. Keep singing.  
** Hide was thankful for the cerulean glow- it might hide the red of his cheeks.  
Nothing could hide the warmth of Eyepatch’s smile, reflected in the softness of his silvery eye.  
 _Is a week long enough to fall_ this _hard?  
_ Hide banished the thought.  
 _“My baby never fret none, about what my hands and my body done. If the Lord don’t forgive me, I’d still have my baby and my babe would have me…”_

It wasn’t unusual for Eyepatch to disappear for hours at a time, usually collecting food and stones to write with. Hide had argued any stone would do, but the siren was adamant.  
 **Sandstone is best. Bright, washes away easily. Practical.  
** Hide wished he’d argued longer.  
A familiar white face had risen from the water, edging towards the edge. Hide had risen to meet him, carefully dragging himself towards the water. He’d opened his mouth to cry his welcome, but the sight of the water swallowed his words.  
Tendrils of navy blue danced amongst the algae, growing from the siren’s side.   
It only took a moment to click.   
Curses bubbling in his throat, Hide rushed to the water’s edge. Wide eyes surveyed the situation- Eyepatch’s gritted teeth, the continued swirling of blood by his side.  
“What happened? Were you attacked? Who did it?” He grunted, realising his mistake. “Never mind. Let me pull you up, have a look at that…”  
He reached down, but his friend pushed away. “Eyepatch! You’re gonna bleed to death if we don’t do something…” He trailed off, taking in the panicked glaze in the other’s eye. Stilted whistles tumbled from the siren’s lips, shrill and harsh and loud. He looked… terrified. _Why?_  
A beat later, it clicked. “Nothing’s gonna change how I feel about you, Eyepatch…” He sighed, reaching out a hand. “… I know you’re not human, but you’re my best friend. Please let me help you.”  
Their eyes met and Hide felt his chest constrict. The eyepatch had slipped off his face, somewhere between arriving and pulling away. Now exposed, his crimson iris bloomed from a black sclera- wide and fearful… but trusting. Believing.  
The siren swam back to the edge, face twisted in a grimace, and held out his arms. Silent and gentle, the blond obliged.  
It was almost surprising, how easily Hide pulled his friend from the water. Shimmery and red as wine, the siren’s eight tentacles trailed limply behind them. Even when they reached the back of the wall, Eyepatch slumping against the stony surface, the water still lapped at the tips of his legs.  
Shedding his shirt, Hide ripped through the linen, fashioning a parody of a tourniquet. He wrapped the fabric around the siren’s wound- a long, deep gash where ivory skin met sinewy limbs. “I’m not familiar with siren first-aid,” he joked, tone light, tying the bandages into a knot, “So you might need to help me here.”  
He glanced at the face of his patient. Head reclined against the wall, jaw clenched in a grimace, Eyepatch gave him a heavy look. A pale hand clamped onto Hide’s bicep, strong with the weight of words unsaid. “It’s alright,” the blond soothed, hand clasping over the others. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”  
 _Aren’t I?_ The words had caught him off-guard, like the storm of that distant night. _What do I mean?  
_ The sad expression in mismatched eyes echoed his thoughts. With a soft sob, arms threw themselves around Hide’s, sopping hair cool against his cheek. Hide returned in kind; rubbed soft circles against his back. His eyes welled at the way pale shoulders shook in his arms. “I’m here.”

Hide dreamt of the sea. This time, he was a part of it.  
Eyepatch drifted before him, hair floating in the tide like a halo. His tentacles trailed behind him like the train of a nobleman’s robe, red as the apples of the village orchard. _Beautiful._  
Hide was the sea... But Eyepatch cupped his cheek with a tender hand, and he was _alive._ His heart swelled, hands threading through coarse white strands, lips pressed softly against the other’s…

Hide awoke on the cavern floor, arms still wrapped around the siren’s torso. Eyepatch had nuzzled his face into his chest, tentacles velvet-soft against his legs.  
Hide didn’t move. He closed his eyes, relishing in the rise and fall of the other’s chest.

_… I’m not going anywhere._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that's read my fic so far! I'm so glad that people are enjoying my story.  
> This chapter is Kaneki-centric, and was really fun to write- even if I wanted to cry half the time hahaha.  
> Happy AND sad tears, though!  
> Hope you enjoy!

The written word was the most precious commodity a person could hope to possess. Once read, words fluttered alive like willow-the-wisps, dancing on the page and in the memory of the reader.  
Written words were immortal.  
The spoken word was not so fortunate. With fate’s decree, they float through the air to many at a time but fade with equal speed; With only memory to preserve them, they become distorted, fragile things.  
Without memory, the knowledge is lost.  
A bookbinder by trade, Kaneki had known this well; voice soft as his leather-bound journals, he’d scribed far more than he spoke. And he'd been fine with that- more than fine…  
… Except maybe he hadn’t. Maybe he had never been.  
Perhaps he'd longed for his voice to be heard- to not succumb to the will of others.  
And time would only make that clearer.

The ship had offered a quick, safe journey from one peninsula to the next; Five days at sea, at a pace no carriage could hope to match. The ideal option.  
Kaneki bought his ticket. His favourite author was making an appearance in six days, in a bustling coastal town, to release her latest book. If he was lucky, he’d gain a new book and a business prospect.  
It had been three days since they left the shore, land now lost to the horizon. The stars had shone down on them as the pirates crept across the deck, adorned in silence and stealth. Kaneki had struggled to sleep that night; he was never blessed with a sailor’s constitution, constantly plagued by the gut-wrenching rock of the boat. “Takatsuki Sen,” he muttered weakly, staggering into the open air. “Her new book… It’ll be worth it…”  
_“Well blow me down,”_ Came a savage whisper from the shadows. His mouth was clamped shut before he could blink, the stench of sweat and cigarettes assaulting his nose. Trembling, he could only breathe as the voice murmured in his ear: “You, my friend, are just in time.”

His name was Yamori- a ruthless captain and key member of pirate organisation, Aogiri. Hand still clamped around the bookbinder’s mouth, he whispered with his rancid breath: “You’re gonna stay quiet-like, or my men here are gonna kill the other landlubbers. Savvy?”  
Eyes burning, he gave a shaky nod.  
Eel-like, the pirates crept through the boat; Yamori stayed above, knocking Kaneki to his knees, blade shining in the moonlight. “Nice and quiet, lad. I want the waves to drown out your breathing.”  
Minutes held the weight of hours as Kaneki sat slumped, shivering, keeping time with the beat of his heart. Resplendent in white, like the foam of some great tsunami, the pirate captain admired the way his saber shone in the moonlight. “This feels like a fortuitous night,” He smirked, running fingers along the blade, “I’ve made a decision.” Grey eyes flickered up, fixated on the pirate’s grin. “Keep quiet,” he continued, “And these people won’t taste my steel tonight.”  
Kaneki hated how his eyes stung, how his shoulders slumped with the weight of those words. He hated how he could feel grateful to such a man.  
But he did.  
The gentle creak of footsteps announced the return of his crew. One by one, they tip-toed across the plank, arms heavy with the weight of their bounty: stock from the kitchens, jewellery boxes and silken dresses. Polished metals glistened in the moonlight, disappearing into the shadows of the neighbouring vessel. A thin figure sauntered up to Yamori, flamboyant in the frills of his feather boa.  
“Picked to the bone, Yamori dearest,” he purred. “You chose our target well.”  
“Of course,” the captain huffed, scratching absently at the skin beneath his eye patch. “Are the men in position?”  
“Of course.”  
“Good.” He returned his gaze to the bookbinder; that jagged smile still lingered on his lips. “My deepest gratitude, laddie. The sky itself could not hear you breathing.”  
Kaneki opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. He could only gasp, wide-eyed, as the saber plunged deep into his abdomen. “As a reward, only you will feel this blade.” The whisper was hot and harsh against his ear, rattling through his skull. “Your friends can burn. Light our way in the night.”  
_… Liar.  
Liar… Liar, liar, liar, liar, LIAR!_  
Kaneki had no words, so he succumbed to rage. Teeth and nails, he flung himself at the man; He barely felt the blade now, nor the wetness that bathed his shirt. Yamori gave a grunt, barrelling the boy to the edge of the deck. Kaneki kicked and thrashed and screamed, eyes fiery and flooded and scared.  
But it wasn’t enough.  
With one great push, he felt the world disappear under him.  
He fell to the ocean with barely a sound.

He was asleep, yet also awake. He was floating, suspended, and everything _burned._  
The worst was his legs; they felt contorted, paralysed with a fiery pain that stretched up to his hips. He couldn’t feel the bend of his knees, the curve of his ankles or toes- _open your eyes,_ screamed his thoughts, but he couldn’t.  
_Wriggle your toes.  
Bend your knees.  
Open your eyes and look!_  
He couldn’t.  
A great shivering shook his lungs, the agony sharp as needlepoints. The skin of his neck screamed, and Kaneki wondered if Yamori cut his throat.  
_… Yamori… Yamori…  
… Pirates. Fire. Ocean. Death.  
OPEN YOUR EYES._  
And he did.

He was alone.  
Ash drifted like flowers on the surface of the waves. He reached out an arm, up to the sky, heavy with the weight of his water-logged shirt- his white night shirt, still splattered with blood.  
Tentative, he touched his stomach. The skin was smooth, unmarred, no sign of the blade that pierced his flesh; But the skin felt strange, like a velvet fishing net- too soft, too light, unnatural and wrong.  
He looked down, horror clasped around his heart.

Alone in a sea of ash, he wept.

The skeleton of the ship sat nestled on the ocean floor. Kaneki searched the vessel- every crack and crevice, searching with a sombre resolve for the other passengers. No body lingered in the flooded cabins, and he allowed a glimmer of hope to burn in his chest.  
Shirt long discarded, he pushed through the water with novel ease; he refused to acknowledge the sensation of gills, the unfurling of sinewy legs behind him. Beneath the waves, tears went unnoticed.  
Kaneki found the saber in the sand; half-buried, the tell-tale glint of steel turned his heart to ice. Hands trembling, he lifted the blade, gazing at the reflection on its surface.  
A creature stared back at him.  
Gills marred the sides of his neck, fluttering in the current; his hair- once a glossy black, now bleached of all colour- fanning over mismatched eyes. He stared into a crimson iris- red like the fire that lit up that night- and bit his lip.  
_Is this really me? Am I a monster?_  
_A monster,_ he mused, _holding the possession of another…_ And a smooth, cold clarity washed over him.  
Yamori set the ship alight, with the passengers asleep inside.  
Yamori watched them burn.  
_Yamori turned me into this._  
The burning returned in his chest- an itch, just behind his ribcage. The ocean around him fell silent, still.  
The blade, heavy in his hands, hardened his resolve.

He wasn’t sure how long he drifted- it may have been days, or weeks. Time felt muted beneath the waves, sunlight fickle and impermanent.  
Kaneki found himself exploring the ocean bed- to fight off boredom and retain his wits. He ran his fingers against coral beds, soaking in their pinks and blues and golds; Occasionally he’d find a particularly attractive shell and his mind would be transported to the coastal marketplace. How much prettier these shells were, he mused, than those he’d admired in the marketplace.  
By sunset, he had a collection.  
Occasionally, he’d chance upon a sunken ship. Rotting wood would crumble under his fingertips, schools of fish flitting through cannon ball holes. Sometimes, he was lucky: a leather eyepatch, water-stained but still intact; a belt, amongst trunks of clothes he no long had use for. Kaneki slipped them on and- for a few precious seconds- felt human once again.  
He hadn’t cried since he awoke that day; he was no longer sure he could.  
Nights were spent by his cavernous abode, propped against a rock, hidden in shadows and whitewash; He’d watch for passing ships (pirate ships caused his heart to race, his hand reaching for the blade at his belt), a silent observer of oblivious sailors. He’d hear their raucous laughter, their shouts and drunken songs, and feel a coolness seep through his bones.  
At dawn, he’d retreat to one of the caverns, sandstone shard in hand. He’d hoist himself above the water, hand shaking as he scribed the words:  
_I am not human. I will never be human again.  
But I will become strong. I will protect this sea for those I could not.  
Yamori will never kill again._

It was a cool winter day when Kaneki felt a pull in his chest. He glanced around the coral reef, seemingly devoid of its usual inhabitants; the occasional eel slithered from its hidey-hole, but the schools of fish were nowhere to be seen.  
_A storm,_ he realised- Not yet, but soon. No matter- he’d stand watch close to his cave, retreating when the swell became too great. It was a short swim to his rocky sanctuary, even with the strengthening pull of the current.  
The siren peaked his head above the water, squinting towards the retreating Sun. His eyes widened.  
A ship.  
Not just a ship, even, but a _pirate ship_ \- distant on the horizon, but approaching at a steady pace.  
_Yamori could be on that ship._  
Kaneki groped for his blade, knuckles white.  
There was only one way to find out.

He hid amongst the sea foam, patient as the ship came closer in his vision. The sea roared, stormy and vicious, waves like the gnashing jaws of a rabid dog. Kaneki tightened his tentacles around the face of the rock, anchored in place; he listened to the distant shouts of the crew, voices small among the rain and sea. Yamori’s voice was not among them.  
The siren deflated. _Very well._  
He turned, preparing to retreat beneath the waves... … And froze at the sound of song.  
_“I couldn’t utter my love when it counted, ah… but I’m singing like a bird ‘bout it now…”_  
The voice was hoarse, shouting into the wind; it was not Yamori’s, nor anyone Kaneki could recall. For all his boat-watching, he’d never attempted to speak with a sailor- he knew full well what remained of his voice, his humanity.  
But this song… this voice was raw and feeling, the words echoing sweetly in his head. _“Words hung above, but never would form… Like a cry at the final breath that is drawn… Remember-”_  
The words cut off abruptly, verse unfinished. Consumed by an alien fear, Kaneki turned back, eyes wide and searching for the singer.  
_“Nagachika!”_ Someone screamed. “Nagachika! Man overboard!”  
“Forget him, laddie! He be shark bait now!”

He didn’t think. Didn’t dare breathe.  
He pushed off the rock and into the deep.

The world came to a standstill, time measured by the pull of the waves. Kaneki pushed forward- faster, faster, faster- eyes blinked into the dark of the sea.  
Faster, faster, faster, faster, THERE!  
A dim yellow, like sun-baked coral, floated just beneath the waves. The siren reached out, arms wrapping around a torso; grip firm, he changed directions, embracing the will of the tide. They broke through the surface, the pirate gasping and wheezing in the salty air. His eyes were wide and unseeing, mind trapped in a panic-stricken limbo.  
**Hold your breath,** Kaneki mouthed, miming his meaning with a hand over his mouth. **Hold your breath.**  
Still groggy, the pirate gave a weak nod, hands tight on the siren’s shoulders.  
_“Thank you,”_ he murmured, dazed. _“Thank you, thank you…”_  
The sound stung like needles in his heart, but Kaneki dismissed the pain. Now was not the time.  
**Now!** He whisper-screamed, dipping beneath the waves.  
He rode the current, deeper and deeper towards the entrance of the cavern; the still-strong grip of the boy on his shoulders was comforting, affirming, but still so scary.  
_What am I doing?_  
Kaneki burst out from the water, laying the pirate down in a messy heap. Still half-submerged, he tried to adjust the other’s limbs, wincing at the dark purple bruise growing on his leg. Satisfied that the other wouldn’t choke on his vomit, or something equally as awful, he pulled away.  
Now truly asleep, the boy’s gold-blond hair clung messily to his sun-tanned skin. Freckles decorated his cheeks like splattered drops of ink.  
For a long, silent moment, Kaneki forgot how to breathe.  
_… What the hell am I doing?_

“You’re not human, are you?”  
Kaneki hesitated, sandstone tight in his grip.  
**No.  
**_You should be scared. You will be scared, if not now.  
Rebuff me now. Don’t let this wretched hope fester._  
The pirate gave a lopsided smile.  
“Can’t say I’m surprised… I mean, you are _inhumanly handsome.”_

The pirate’s name was Hide, and he radiated sunlight.  
His smile was so bright and _warm,_ Kaneki felt he might melt into the ocean completely.  
His voice was beyond description. He’d toss his head back, eyes crinkled shut, and his laughter would light up the cavern like melted honey. Ever the pirate, Hide was an excellent storyteller- his eyes alight and gestures wild, he recounted fantastical tales of his so-called adventures out at sea, as animated and thrilling as the waves. Kaneki would lean forward, head in his hands, and soak up every word.  
When Hide spoke, he no longer missed his beloved books (now poor food for the fish).  
Tentacles carefully curled beneath the algae, he could pretend he was still human- still capable of laughter and music and words.  
But he knew- deep down- such pretence could not last.

Every day, he searched for Yamori, and every day proved fruitless. He couldn’t quite remember what inspired his efforts. It was all a blur of anger and grief, days of solitude in a beautiful grave.  
_Yamori killed those people_ \- but did he? They could have been rescued, could have escaped.  
_Yamori will kill others_ \- but can he? The authorities have been increasing their presence on the seas- that much was clear in Kaneki’s silent observations. For all he knew, Yamori was in jail right now. Paying for his sins.  
_Yamori turned me into a monster…  
… Didn’t he?_  
So distracted by his internal conflict, the siren missed the harpoon rocketing towards him.  
The world began to blur, a fiery pain raging at his side. Disorientated, he tried to make out the voices above.  
_Poachers,_ he realised with sickening dread. _They think I’m game._  
Another harpoon shot past, narrowly missing his left shoulder. The siren shook himself out of his reverie, mind now racing with adrenaline; He fanned out his limbs like a parasol and propelled himself deep into the seaweed- further and further until their shouts faded to nothing.

He hadn’t planned on returning to the cavern- not with blood swirling around him, his wound deep and ugly. He didn’t want Hide to see that.  
Alas, as though acting of their own accord, his tentacles drove him through the entrance of the cave.  
Hide was safety, joy and comfort. Hide was home.  
_Maybe I can hide it,_ he pondered half-heartedly, forcing a smile to greet the blond; Hide the wound, the tentacles, the monstrousness… … But Hide looked at him- _saw him._  
Hide saw everything, yet still looked at him like he had that first day…

… Slowly, quietly… Kaneki fell apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaneki Ken deserves happiness, guys.  
> Last chapter coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are folks, chapter three of three. Thank you, everyone, for your support- I was so nervous when I first started posting, but you've all been so amazing, thank you!  
> Hope you enjoy!

Few memories would ring a clear for Hide as the day he asked Eyepatch to sing.  
He’d been lying on his stomach, fingers trailing aimlessly in the water.  
His friend drifted beside him, face half-submerged, his eyes narrowed in distant thought.  
The question took immediate effect, Eyepatch rocketing to the surface in a wheezing fit- Hide had panicked, of course, convinced he’d _drowned a siren.  
_ The coughing subsided, but Eyepatch’s apprehension remained.  
 **Siren song is dangerous!  
** “It can be,” Hide agreed, “But that’s only when a siren… wants it to. Right?”  
 **What if I hurt you?  
** “Try it, you swashbuckler!” He snickered with a wink; He didn’t know if the siren would recognise the word, but the way his cheeks turned rosy suggested the meaning wasn’t lost. “Sirens lure pirates with songs about their desires, right? So, maybe…” he bit his lip, “… If you sing about your own desires?”  
Eyepatch didn’t look convinced; but- with a long, deep breath- he closed his eyes.

No words could describe it.  
The sound felt so removed from his usual clicks and whistles- yet the song felt so familiar, as though Hide had known it all his life.  
Eyepatch’s sang, and the cavern seemed to fade away. Hide closed his eyes and saw sunlight filtering through a window, illuminating a room dominated by books. He breathed in the scent of vanilla and dust, coffee and city smoke.  
The song changed. Hide heard a woman’s voice, gentle and distant. He felt sand beneath his feet, the warmth of a crackling fire on his face.  
And then, stronger than any other dream, he felt the press of a body against his; arms wrapped around his waist, a face pressed deep into the crook of his neck.  
Eyes snapping wide open, the blond met the worried gaze of his friend- still drifting in the water. Slowly, he became aware of his shallow breath.  
 **Are you OK? Did I do something  
** The siren paused in his writing, at a loss. There was so much words could not express.  
Shuffling over, Hide gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  
“I’m fine… Thank you, Eyepatch. For sharing that.”  
Head bowed low, the siren smiled.

Hide couldn’t feel his legs.   
It had felt like a gradual change, in the liminal space of the cavern, separate from the Sun and stars... But perhaps those hours spent by the pool were mere seconds to the outside world.  
The blond had chalked it up to the healing process. He’d broken enough bones in his vagabond youth, falling from trees and the neighbours’ rooftops- he knew the numbness that followed the pain, thick as treacle, on the path to recovery.  
But this wasn’t numbness. Numbness was _something-_ it was the soft ache of muscles, too tired to move, yet too bored to remain still.  
Now, three weeks past his fall from grace, he nudged his uninjured leg and felt _nothing.  
_ And that scared him. Terrified him, even- would the feeling ever return? If so, when?   
Hide had boarded the ship that day because he wanted to be _free._ He wanted to explore, to learn and laugh and wonder. He'd spend his whole life sheltered in rolling hills, watched the Sun rise and set on the boundless horizon. _Where does it go?_ He'd wonder every night, eyes fixed on the patchy ceiling. _What faraway lands has it bathed in light, what endless skies and seas?_ He longed to join- to hitch a ride on a ray of sunlight and bask in the glow of the unknown.   
Nine months at sea, and his appetite was still unsated. He'd only just begun.  
Was his journey to be cut short?  
But scary as it was, Hide didn’t dare tell Eyepatch.  
He couldn’t put that on him, not right now.  
Feeling may return, like the Sun to the horizon, but Hide knew...  
… He would never forget the sight of heartbreak in mismatched eyes.

Hide occupied his mind with other, more pleasant thoughts- for example, how beautiful the siren was.  
Every morning, a white head of hair would rise from the water, bits of algae clinging to the strands. Eyepatch would flash him a smile- small and shy but brimming with joy- and the pirate would fall a little harder.  
The siren had foregone the eyepatch- a decision that Hide appreciated. As shocking the sight had been at first, now he could only wonder at the brilliance of red against black, like fire in the dead of night.  
As much as he loved these moments, nothing compared to those nights when Eyepatch would rise from the surface.  
Few and far between, Hide cherished these nights more than anything else. It was a testament to their bond- that Eyepatch trusted him, as he trusted the siren.  
“So soft…” the blond murmured, running a tentative hand along an offered limb. Eyepatch warbled, face hot, glaring intensely into the water. “It is!” he laughed, with a playful nudge, “It’s like seaweed- but less slimy. It’s nice.”  
Taken aback by a sudden splash, the pirate gave a startled yelp. “Hey! Belay, belay!”  
Eyepatch laughed, eyes crinkled with delight, but relented his attack. He scrunched up his nose as Hide shook out his hair, drops of water flying everywhere. “You’re part fish, Eyepatch. Don’t look at me like that!”

Later that night, amidst the glow of the algae, Eyepatch gave him a nudge; he rolled onto his stomach, tentacles hanging limp in the water, and took out his sandstone. Hide shifted in kind, peering curiously at the pale transcriptions. “Blimey… Breaking out the kanji, are we?” He laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “My kanji’s kinda rusty…”  
He trailed off, taking in the firm set of the siren’s shoulders. With one last stroke of the stone, Eyepatch turned onto his side.  
Hide recognised the invitation. He shuffled closer, hoping his friend didn’t look too closely at his legs (still numb, unfeeling and limp against the stone floor. “Um…” He licked his lips. “… Ka… Kane…Ki? Kaneki Ken?”  
Eyepatch nodded, resting his head on his shoulder. The blond gazed at the words for a few moments, eyes narrowed in thought.  
Then it hit him. “Eyepatch… Is your name Kaneki Ken?”  
Another nod.  
Hide grasped clumsily for words. “So, then… So, you’re saying… you used to be…?”  
 _…Human?  
_ Eyepatch- no, _Kaneki_ \- gave him a soft, sad smile… and nodded again.  
 **Human.  
** _… When someone dies a horrible death out at sea…_ **  
**Hide’s legs could be damned. Hoisting himself up by his arms, the pirate threw himself at his friend; He wrapped his arms around the siren’s torso, holding every intention to never let go. “Kaneki Ken… Kaneki Ken… Kaneki Ken…” He whispered the name like a mantra, face burrowing into the other man’s chest. As pale arms enveloped his own, strong yet shaky, his hold only became tighter. “… It’s a beautiful name, Kaneki. A beautiful name…”

Kaneki told him, as best he could, everything. He scribed across the cavern walls, mouthed his meaning when his hands began to shake; when words evaded him, his gaze became distant, hands trembling in his lap.  
Hide took it all in: his life on land; Yamori- a name even his crewmates feared. He thought of Kaneki, alone and afraid, that dreadful sword his ball and chain.  
“… What would you do?” He breathed. “If you find Yamori?”  
The siren frowned.  
 **I don’t know.  
** Hide nodded.  
 _“I understand…”_  
Takizawa’s tales lingered in the back of his mind, but he refused to give them power. What Kaneki did was his choice, and what could anyone do when...  
… The sound of scratching broke the human from his thoughts.  
He met Kaneki’s gaze- soft and ever sweet- and, heart pounding, studied his words.  
 **I’m done searching.**

The dreams continued, each one slightly different in detail.  
Sometimes Hide was the water- light and ubiquitous, his pulse in time with the pull of the tide. Sometimes he was himself, and he was floating in the current, his breathing a paradox beneath the waves.  
Kaneki was the only constant.  
He’d drift beside him, their hands interlinked, or swirl around him in a flurry of ivory and red; he’d wrap the pirate in his embrace, tentacles coiled around his legs (if he, indeed, had any), nose close to touching his own.  
Sometimes they would kiss- and these were Hide’s favourites, for the world would become a little bit brighter, his being a little more grounded in the fantasy.  
And each time he would wake up, bone-dry on the cavern floor, his vision swallowed by the shimmering water.

Kaneki found out, as he always would have. It didn’t dull the pain, though.  
He’d been singing to the siren, legs dangling in the water. He’d barely reached the chorus when his friend let out a gasp, sinking beneath the water.  
Before Hide could react, the siren re-emerged and hauled his legs out of the water.  
Blood trickled down his calves, the skin littered with cuts from the barnacles. “… Oh.” Hide forced a laugh. “I didn’t feel any of those… the water must have soothed the pain…”  
The emotion in mismatched eyes stilled his tongue. Kaneki hoisted himself out of the water, settling gravely next to the pirate. When he spoke next, it wasn’t with stone on stone- instead, he took the human’s arm and traced the words against his skin.  
 **Tell me the truth. Please.  
** Hide didn’t expect the tears that clung to his eyelashes.  
 _“… That’s not very fair…”  
_ Pale arms enveloped him as Hide began to quiver, tears flowing freely now. “… I’m sorry…”  
 _Sorry I didn’t tell.  
Sorry I lied.  
Sorry I...  
_Kaneki hummed softly, hands rubbing circles against his back. Not for the first time, Hide marvelled at how _lucky_ he was to ever have met him- to have been saved by him, to know him, to be trusted by him. “… I love you.”  
The hand paused, ever so slightly, before picking up its pattern again- softer and gentler than ever. _  
  
_

**_“… I love you, too.”_ **

**_  
  
_**Hide thought he’d imagined it. He almost convinced himself he did.  
“What…” he pulled back, eyes searching the siren’s expression. “… What did you say?”  
Kaneki blinked, taken aback. He reached for his sandstone but Hide intercepted the movement. Their fingers interlinking, Hide pressed forward: “Say it again.”  
Brow furrowed, the siren tilted his head.  
 **“I… I love you, too?”  
** _“You love me, too.”_ Hide felt his eyes water all over again. _“You love me, too.”  
_ Silence.  
Kaneki raised a shaking hand to his mouth.  
 **“You… You can…”  
** “I can.” Hide sobbed, face shining with a watery smile. “I really can.”  
 **“But… But, _how?”_** It was Kaneki’s turn to cry, eyes shining with shock and wonder and _love._ **“How can you…?”  
** Hide bit his lip, gaze shifting to his legs.  
“I have an idea… But I need your help.”

_“Your tales are so depressing, Takizawa!”_ Hide had moaned one day, mind warm and fuzzy from dinner’s rum. _“All your stories are dark and miserable… Don’t you have any happier tales?”  
“Yeah, Takizawa,” _A pink-faced Akira drawled. _“Or do you only narrate what you know?”  
“I’m gonna ignore that implication, Mado…” _Takizawa grumbled, knocking back his drink. _“… I know plenty of stories, for your information. Not all of them ‘dark and miserable’.”_

With infinite care, Kaneki lowered the human into the water. Hide shivered despite the warmth, heart hammering with trepidation.  
 **“Are you ready?”** The siren murmured, now eye-level with the blond. **“I’ll be right by your side.”  
** Hide met his gaze and tried to mask his fear- he focused on his love and admiration for the man before him, on the trust they shared in each other.  
He gave a swift nod.  
“I’m ready.”  
And with that, he sank down below.

  
  
_“I’ve told you about sirens, yes?” Takizawa drawled, swirling the liquor in his hand. “Creatures born of violence and betrayal, thrown to the waves to…”  
Mado groaned, head lolling to the side. “Get on with it, ya swab!”  
“Sirens are not entirely unique. You see, siren’s sit at one end of a spectrum… On the other end are the mermaids.  
A mermaid is born from a true, undying love of the sea. Unlike sirens, born of chaos and destruction, they spring from love and serenity and faith. Mermaids appear to those lost on the ocean, providing respite and guiding them back home… Is that better, Nagachika?”  
Hide gave a soft smile, gaze far out on the ocean.  
“Much.”_

With bated breath, Hide opened his eyes.  
Kaneki floated beside him, their fingers intertwined. **“I love you…”** he whispered, and his voice rang as clear as it had up above.  
 **“I love you, too.”** The blond startled at the sound of his voice. It was, without a doubt, _his voice…_ but the quality had shifted- now rich and resonant as a bell. The siren laughed, his smile warm and heartfelt, and Hide couldn’t help himself.  
He leant forward, lingering in appeal, before Kaneki closed the distance.  
It was better than any dream. It was _real.  
_ His eyes fluttered closed as Kaneki cupped his cheeks, pressing deeper into the kiss. He ran his fingers through snow-white hair, smiling into the other’s lips, the familiar tang of salt and something sweet lingering. Hide pressed closer, wrapped his legs around the other…  
… But wait. Those weren’t his _legs._  
Eyes flickering open, he gently pulled away, his gaze dropping to his…  
 **“… Sink me!”**  
Cheeks still pink, Kaneki followed his gaze; he glanced back up, eyes shining with awe.  
 ** _“You’re beautiful.”_  
** Shell-shocked, Hide gawked at the long stripy tail, shimmering ruby and silver and gold; translucent fins glistened as fan-like spines floated gently in the water.  
The merman grinned- caught his lover’s gaze, eyes golden as a sunrise.  
 ** _“Told you I’m not going anywhere.”_**  
  


In a vast blue of the ocean, a well-worn fishing boat bobbed above the waves. "Takizawa, we've been searching for _weeks_ now. We're not going to find him."  
"Sorry, Mado," The pirate huffed, polishing his spyglass, "But I told that swab I'd kill him myself... I ain't letting him off easy, you hear..."  
Mado sighed.   
"I know he was your mate, Seido. He was mine, too..." She rose from her seat, resting an awkward hand on her crewmate's shoulder. "But the Captain gave us three weeks to look. It's already been two."  
"But-"  
"I'm just saying," the blonde sighed, rubbing weary eyes, "Surely we would have found him by now... If..."  
Neither wanted to finish the phrase.   
Slowly, Takizawa released his breath.   
"... OK. You're right. Let's head..."  
He paused. "... Wait, do you hear that?"  
The pirates stood, silent, as the boat continued to rock.   
A soft, melodic song began to build, encircling the boat and sweetening the air. _"Sink me,"_ Takizawa hissed, "It's a bloody siren! Plug your ears!"  
"Don't be daft," Mado growled, eyes searching the horizon. Eyes wild, Takizawa plugged his ears, leaning over the hull...  
... Only to receive a swift splash to the face.   
"Man down! Man down!" He shrieked, stumbling into Mado's back. "It's got me, Mado! Save yourself!"  
"Get off me, you knave!" the blonde hissed, shoving her companion away. Her eyes shot to the water; Vision clearing, her jaw dropped. "... Nagachika?"  
The familiar face of her lost comrade grinned up from the water. His eyes shone a brilliant yellow, his torso a blur of red and silver, but it was _him._ "How?"  
The merman smiled, raising a hand in salute. Finally coming to his senses, Takizawa returned to the edge of the boat.   
"You.. You... Scallywag!" He shrieked, chestnut hair a flurry. "Who said you could go off and become a... A _bloody lionfish!"_  
He spluttered as a second splash hit him, tinkling laughter filling the air. Mado stayed back, half-amused, processing the new-found information.   
"Are you coming back with us, Nagachika?"  
The merman paused, head tilting towards the horizon. If she squinted, the pirate could make out the silhouette of a man drifting in the distance. She smiled, refocusing her gaze. "Very well. C'mon, Takizawa, our job is done."  
Takizawa blinked, expression shifting into worry.   
"But..." he bit his lip, looking back to his old friend. "... Will we...?"  
Hide gave a soft smile, reaching out to take his arm. With dripping fingertips, he traced on his friend's forearm:  
 **We will meet again.** He threw the other a lop-sided grin, **I have a new song for you.  
** _"God blind me..."_ Takizawa laughed. "... You and your bloody songs..."   
The merman snickered, eyes alight, and the pirate gave in. "... Fine. One more song, it is."

It would not be the last- not even close.   
But it was that song- _above all others_ \- that would stay with the them, always.   
Where he lingered on the horizon, the Sun still yet to reach it's peak, Kaneki closed his eyes and smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote those last few scenes grinning like a loon, I won't lie ;D  
> This may be the last chapter of this fic, but I wouldn't be opposed to writing a sequel? Maybe with the return of Yamori? (Dun dun dun). Let me know what you guys think.  
> Thank you again for sticking around to the end. I really hope you enjoyed my fic! :)


End file.
